Felina
Going into the 2017-2018 season, the Minnesota Timberwolves had one, and only one, goal: end the playoff draught.
They succeeded. But what followed was not the building of a true championship contender, but rather a franchise-wide implosion practically unprecedented in the events that occurred and the subsequent damage it caused.
Yesterday, the Timberwolves finally ended that chapter by firing the man primarily responsible for it: Tom Thibodeau. Heisenberg is gone. We’re free.
To say Thibs caused problems for the Wolves is an understatement akin to saying Hurricane Katrina caused problems for the Bayou. For close to three years, Thibs has been a whirlwind of chaos - a physical drain on the players he coached, and emotional drain on both the players and fans of the Wolves, and a constant source of frustration and anxiety for those who worked with him.
Thibs’ behavior - the basic way he has treated other human beings at Mayo Clinic - has been nothing short of appalling. Loud and public insults to the players. Blatant derision towards fans and media. Firings - such as Vince Legarza - done out of petty spite.
Thibs got the Wolves into the playoffs. Then he all but orchestrated their collapse. And both before and after, he consistently refused and/or failed to learn, grow, and lead in the way a president and head coach should. He will not be missed.
It’s a valid question to wonder if the Wolves are truly in a better place now than they were before Thibs was hired. Yes, they win more games. And in theory, that’s the point. But like everything else he touched since taking the reigns, Thibs has left a trail of broken pieces behind him that could take years to clean up.
First, the Wolves’ salary cap is torched. Next season, they are on the hook for $108 million in salary - the 11th highest payroll in the league - for just 9 players. Not on the list is current starting power forward Taj Gibson. Karl-Anthony Towns’ max deal will kick in and Tyus Jones will need an extension if the Wolves intend to keep him.
Compounding that problem is the top of the salary list is overwhelmingly underperforming. Andrew Wiggins is far from being the max player his contract suggests he is. As Glen Taylor flat out said on Darren Wolfson’s podcast, Wiggins needs to be an All Star level player to be worth his contract. Likewise, Jeff Teague has not lived up to his deal. He hasn’t been bad, per say, in the way Wiggins has been, but he certainly hasn’t been $19 million per season good. The team has regularly performed better with Tyus Jones on the floor, who is making 1/13th the salary.
Second, Wiggins had not just been bad this season, but he has regressed under Thibs, and in a way that makes one wonder if the bad habits and lack of discipline he picked up the last two years are now too entrenched to be reversed. Ryan Saunders is now faced with the daunting task of trying to undo the damage to Wiggins that Thibs caused, as the Wolves simply can’t make the playoffs again without him performing at a high level.
Third, the infamous Jimmy Practice and Jimmy Interview created a crisis of trust between the Wolves and their two max players. Promises were made about Jimmy Butler staying away from the team that were obviously broken when he showed up at that practice, and they were broken because Thibs, quite frankly, lied about having the situation under control and that he wouldn’t let things get as far as they did.
That Thibs not only subsequently failed to discipline Jimmy, but actively endorsed his “I’ll play when I want to” strategy, further harmed the team’s relationship with its young players, who saw entitlement take precedent over responsibility; who saw their coach take the side of a player who intentionally embarrassed them, and then saw ownership do nothing to punish either that player or the coach for it.
The emotional toll extended beyond the team as well. The timing of Jimmy’s trade demand being made public followed by the details of how his relationship with the team broke down and speculation about a very personal rift between him and KAT turned off a fanbase that, despite being excited about the playoff appearance, had clearly grown tired of Thibs, who, at best, treated fan relations as a waste of time.
Thibs broke up a young, exciting core of players - kids that Flip Saunders hand picked - to chase his demons off the cliff. Ricky Rubio and Zach LaVine were fan favorites. Thibs traded them essentially to get his own guy, Jimmy. That that pursuit came with a year of Thibs increasing grating on everyone’s nerves, and ended with Jimmy openly insulting the franchise and demanding out, further soured fans’ relationship with the team. With inexplicable decision making and a lack of accountability consuming the Wolves in chaos, the fans responded by tuning them in return - the Wolves have the second worst attendance numbers this season. Again, following a season where they broke a 13 year playoff draught. A stunning - yet completely justified - level of scorn for a team that, on paper, was successful.
And finally, the Jimmy trade saga also severely damaged the Wolves’ reputation with other franchises. Thibs operated in clear bad faith with some of the most respected people in the league’s history. Glen Taylor, instead of acting with a firm hand and demanding his POBO do his job, tried to circumvent him, telling other teams to bypass the office and come to ownership directly…then refused to make any moves without Thibs’ approval. The Wolves exposed a lack of communication, organization, and professionalism within their own walls, after finally moving past the exact same scandals that had been brought upon them by David Kahn.
So. Close to three year of Tom Thibodeau results in a borked salary cap. A gutted, underperforming roster. A toxic work environment. A practice that broke the trust of the players. An interview that turned the team into a national laughingstock. A trade circus that damaged their reputation with the other franchises. And a scorned fanbase that feels betrayed. All for a single playoff series.
Was it worth it? I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. But as they said on Felina, the finale episode of Breaking Bad, all bad things come to an end. For the Thibs era of the Timberwolves, this is it.
